Postcard to T. Smith Esq., 24, Palmerstone Rd., Bowes Park, London N. Postmarked Felixstowe S.O. Suffolk 2 PM 24 NO 16. Also endorsed Enteritis.
Nov 24th 16
Dear Father
I hope you received my letter.
We are leaving tomorrow Saturday for Harwich; will let you know my address as soon as I get there.
I hope you are all well.
With best wishes from Alf
A.A. Laporte Payne letter 23 Nov 1916
France
Nov 23rd 1916
Muriel!
It was perfectly horrid of you to write such a letter as I have just received. I was furious. After waiting anxiously for a week to hear from you – cussing the delayed mails and other things – I got that. Thank you so much for it of course. It was nice and long, and I know I ought to be very grateful to you for writing at all and giving me such an “interesting” and newsy letter, but next time don’t forget to begin with “Dear Sir” and enclose a “Hendon & Finchley News” or whatever the thing calls itself.
But seriously, Muriel, couldn’t (or wouldn’t?) you have forgiven me that letter if you did not approve of it. You seem to acquiesce because you think I want to receive such letters. Don’t you understand me yet? I suppose I am much too mad for that – and I am very mad to-day. I can see you were angry with me – unhappy me! – My best intentions and efforts seem to go wrong.
You will never be able to condemn me for sarcasm again. You were splendid – much too clever for me. Your letter was a masterpiece, calculated to do one of two things – either to hint that I was to follow your example in future, and write copy book or you wanted to rebuke my answering you by writing as I did.
I know I am being frightfully rude and I am appalled at what I have written but I am going to send it because I know I am absolutely in the wrong and you are quite right, and you will see what a selfish creature I am still. I cannot be responsible for my actions when like this and you must forgive me my bad temper which has already reviled on my own head as I have been left alone tonight. One is in the trenches on duty and two have gone out to dine because they said I was un-bearable.
Further there has just started a furious strafe. One of our new windows has just gone with the concussion. A bullet went through another and also the door of my bedroom which is most annoying. One telephone wire has been cut and the wretched linesman has been sent out by hardhearted me to patrol the line. We have not opened fire yet but am expecting a message from the trenches at any moment.
Meanwhile I am enjoying all this as it is in accord with my mood.
It has prevented me from throwing the furniture about and breaking a few more windows and also acts as an accompaniment to my writing.
This is the rudest thing I have written or said to you and I am conceited enough to hope that you won’t be offended. You will see that I did not write “you were perfectly horrid” but “it was” whatever “it is”.
“With best wishes”!
“Yours very sincerely!
Archie
P.S. Remember that you ought to continue making copy books or cease to publish.
No 27521
Pte. A. Smith
3rd Essex Regt
“C” Company
Felixstowe
Undated
Dear Father
Just a few lines to let you know we are so far settled.
I met my friend down here & we are now sitting on the sea-front.
We have not got to do anything until tomorrow morning so the best thing to do is to keep out of the way we know a thing or two now.
Will write more later
With much love
Your devoted
Son
Mr. A. Smith,
C/O Mrs. Dewell,
Clarkson Terrace.
12, Gainsborough Rd.,
Felixstowe.
Nov 21st 16
Dear Father
Many thanks for sending my letters & papers on. No doubt you have been expecting to hear from me before, but I have had so many letters to write, & we are drilling all day until tea time.
I am beginning to settle down to army life again but it seems very rough the first start off.
There are several men here that were out with me in France & more keep on coming in every day.
You will note that I have given you the address where I am staying it will be better to address letters there as I shall not have to go round to the dining hall then where they are given out.
I am pleased to say the person where we are staying is very nice she will do anything for us brings in tea & cakes, & different things; so I generally get her to make tea for me the army food is very bad.
How did you get on with the safety razor are you going to purchase one? Guess I will see you shaving yourself next time I come home.
It has been very wet & cold here lately but today has been much better quite warm again.
How is Mr & Mrs. Warman I was pleased to receive Lilian’s letter & will write to her very soon.
I have not had time to look at the paper received this morning so if there is a letter enclosed you will understand why I have not answered it.
I have not any more news to tell you at present.
Glad to say I am feeling quite well & hope you are all in the best of health.
With much love from
Your devoted
Son
A.A. Laporte Payne letter 16 Nov 16
France
Nov 16 1916
Dearest,
No letter has ever been waited for so anxiously by me as your this time – and I got two and they arrived both together so you had your wish.
Do you really think I want you to go back to copy books and exist as we did before? Did I mind your letter? It was nothing to what I should like to get from you; but still it is a delightful advance on what I used to get. But can’t you see that it is not for my own reasons but for your sake that I hesitate even now after your letters?
I should like to have a long talk with you now to explain things you can’t or won’t want to see. As I can’t write what I want to say I shall have to wait and what an awful time it will seem to me.
In the meantime what sort of modus vivandi shall there be? My letters hadn’t they better be proper ones? How can a fellow resist when you urge him to do what he wants to do. I don’t want to receive proper ones if you feel at all inclined to write the other sort.
At the end of one letter you say you were stuck though not for lack of ideas. Can’t you let me have some of those ideas? Let me know just what you think and feel. When I want you so much real letters will be something, and I shall get to know what you are really like – your real self which you say I shall hate. Shall I? (I must never be sarcastic again though must I?) You will only confirm what I know already.
You are a darling to think of me on Sunday last. It was a horrid day for me leaving you as I did, but perhaps it is just as well for you and everybody else that I had to go. You would probably get tired of me and I should certainly want to monopolise too much of you.
There is one sentence in your letter which I have read over and over again and which made me so happy. Can you guess which it is? My love, and I do love you, Muriel – didn’t you always know it? – It seemed such an insult to offer you.
Two attempts at writing this letter were interrupted first by the Colonel and then by the Captain. Your letters arrived here last night and I could not resist writing at once to thank you so very much for your three.
It is bitterly cold here now and with no fire and a wind blowing my hands are so cold that I can’t hold a pen properly – so please excuse writing. Last night I was down in the trenches and it was cold. I would have given anything to have been dining once more at Branchfield.
Doesn’t it seem strange after all this time to be writing like this. Will it make it easier or harder for you to write? I wonder. You will have to teach me how to write a love letter. I know I can’t do it yet. However much I could make love to your person writing is not so easy. It seems so cold and ordinary. Will you have a large photo taken of yourself and send it to me and then I can put it in front of me when I write?
You ask me if I am sure I have not made a mistake. I have no fear on that, but are you sure? I have real fears on that point. You are the first who has ever made me unselfish – so you see you have done some good already. One thing I do ask of you and that is to be honest with yourself and I shall be quite happy.
Shall want to talk about when I see you again. I wonder how you will treat me then.
I wonder if I shall get a letter tonight. How I shall long for the mail now. We had no English mail on Wednesday night you can imagine how furious I was . This is the third letter I have written to you in five days. I shall, like you, have to put the brake on.
I hope you and Mrs Cross and everybody are keeping well
With all my love
Ever your
Archie
A.A. Laporte Payne letter 14 Nov 1916
France
Nov 14th 1916
My dear Muriel,
On my return last night to this beastly place I found your letter on Nov 1st awaiting me, in which you say that I “may be in England before this gets to France”. What a wonderful person you are. How did you guess?
I was very glad to see your handwriting. It cheered me up a lot.
Leave seemed like a delicious dream now it is all over.
That is the worst of having such a good time. If people would only make it unpleasant then we should not mind coming back. Thank you so much for contributing in no small way to making the short time at home so delightful.
When you have existed for half a year solely for the purpose of living for one week you can realise that it must be an extraordinary good week not to fall flat. Anticipation is so often better than realisation; but it was not so this time.
Reg and I had breakfast on Sunday morning at 6.30 and he came to see me off at Victoria when I met a fellow I knew. We had a couple of hours at Folkestone which we spent on the Leas. It was very calm – not like the journey over. We left Boulogne at 4 am the next morning and arrived at the Wagon Line at noon, when I had a bath and a shave. I rode to the Gun Line in the evening. Everybody is in a very bad way and instead of being cheered up I was still more depressed. One Sub was in hospital with influenza. Another had rheumatism so badly that he could not ride his horse.
The remaining one was ‘fed up’ because he had nearly all the work to do. The Captain was in the dumps as he had fallen out rather badly with the Colonel.
So you see what a cheery crowd I joined, and I did not make matters better at all.
We are in the same place but may move at any time.
I tried to get this letter off by to-day’s post, but I am afraid it is too late now. We have been rather busy to-day.
How did the second rehearsal of the Strolling Players go off? It will be over by the time you get this. I wonder if you will arrive home at 10 pm this time!
My work is over for the day, I hope. I have just finished censoring letters and writing returns and intelligence reports which all takes time and is very boring. My occupation seems to have had a bad effect on my letter. This one is very flat I am afraid and have to apologise for the mad previous one but please remember it was written on Saturday night.
I hope you are keeping well
With best wishes
Yours very sincerely
Archie
14 Nov 1916
Dear M & P
I received your letter the other day. Glad to hear everything is going on OK. We are still gogging along here nicely. Went to see the cinema show the other night & raised a smile. We have now started a football club. Had a game the other night and for two days I thought I had been filleted. Uncle is getting quite philanthropic in his old age. Hope Gladys takes every advantage of it. Had a letter from Gladys Grimshaw I suppose she fairly told the tale of the Zeps. Suppose Mar is back in old No 9 again waiting for the clear steps up the passage at night. Well I think with a bit of luck it won’t be very much longer. Some of our boys have already got their two years service stripe on their tunics it makes one feel that I am also getting an old soldier. Still it seems rather a bye gone affair Kitchener’s inspection on Laffan Plan. It’s rather a pity he is not with us to enjoy the fruits of his labour. C’est la Guerre.
Well cheerho for present
Gus
SECRET Copy No 5
R.A.M.C. Operation Order No 37.
by
Colonel H. ENSOR, D.S.O., Commanding R.A.M.C., 3rd Division.
11th November 1916
Reference Map Sheet 57 D.
(b). O.C. No. 8 Fd Ambulance will send two bearer sub-divisions to FLAG AVENUE. These bearer sub-divisions to be in position by 4 am. ‘Z’ Day.
(c). Accommodation for the bearer sub-divisions of Nos. 7 & 8 Fd Ambulances has been reserved by G.Os.C. 8th and 76th Inf Bdes.
(d). Os.C. these bearer sub-divisions will detail men to work the trolley lines to EUSTON DUMP and collect wounded from the Regimental Aid Posts.
(e). O.C. bearer sub-divisions No. 7 Fd Ambulance will be responsible for the collection of the wounded from 76th Inf Bde area, and O.C. bearer sub-divisions No. 8 Fd Ambulance for the same duties in the 8th Inf Bde area.
(f). O.C. No. 8 Fd Ambulance will send his remaining bearer sub-division to the Advanced Dressing Station at EUSTON by 4 am ‘Z’ Day.
(g). O.C. No 7 Fd Ambulance will send his remaining bearer sub-division to the Advanced Dressing Station at COLINCAMPS by 4 am ‘Z’ Day.
(h). O.C. No. 142 Fd Ambulance will sent one bearer sub-division to Advanced Dressing Station at COLINCAMPS by 8 am ‘Z’ Day.
(i). No 5A Sanitary Section will be at Advanced Dressing Station at COLINCAMPS by 4 am ‘Z’ Day.
½ hour before Zero hour this section will march to Advanced DRESSING STATION at EUSTON, and on arrival there O.C. Sanitary Section will detail 10 men to proceed to OBSERVATION WOOD and 10 men to FLAG AVENUE to reinforce the men employed in bringing wounded down trolley lines.
(j). O.C. No 7 Fd Ambulance will detail one officer two N.C.Os. and five men from one of his Tent sub-divisions to take over charge of the Advanced Dressing Station at EUSTON: this Dressing Station to be taken over by 6 pm. ‘Y’ Day.
(k). O.C. Advanced Dressing Station EUSTON will detail one Private R.A.M.C. with surgical haversack, to proceed to 3rd Division Advanced H.Q. at Zero hour for duty there.
(l). R.A.M.C. personnel not mentioned above will remain in present positions.
From 4 am. on ‘Z’ Day the trenches may be used as follows:-
UP – (i) RAILWAY AVENUE to junction with SACKVILLE ST. – SACKVILLE ST. – SOUTHERN AVENUE to front line.
(ii) NORTHERN AVENUE throughout.
DOWN (i) BLENEAU to junction with SACKVILLE ST. – SACKVILLE ST – SOUTHERN AVENUE.
(ii) CENTRAL AVENUE throughout.
Walking wounded from OBSERVATION WOOD will be directed down CENTRAL AVENUE to walking wounded collecting post; those from FLAG AV. down SACKVILLE ST. – SOUTHERN AVENUE to walking wounded collecting post.
O.C. No. 8 Fd Amb. will be responsible that these DOWN C.T.’s are “Flagged” for walking wounded; work to be completed by 6 pm. ‘Y’ Day.
Divisional Motor Amb. Cars to report to O.C. No. 8 Fd. Amb. At FORCEVILLE by 6 pm. ‘Y’ Day.
3 Ford cars will be detailed for duty at the Advanced Dressing Station COLINCAMPS and as far as may be possible 2 large cars will always be available at this place for the evacuation of wounded to the Main Dressing Station formed by No. 8 Fd. Amb. At FORCEVILLE.
The officer detailed by O.C. No. 8 Fd. Amb. Will also arrange to form a “Cab rank” of 7 large motor Amb. cars on the line of evacuation between BERTRANCOURT and FORCEVILLE at P.9.c.3.6.
If the weather and country is dry this cab rank should be formed on the BERTRANCOURT – COURCELLES Road at about J.34.a.7.2. As a loaded car passes the cab rank the leading car in the rank will proceed to the Advanced Dressing Station COLINCAMPS for instructions.
Empty cars returning from FORCEVILLE will return to the cab rank by the same road. This cab rank is to be formed by 6 am. ‘Z’ Day.
Officers Commanding concerned will arrange for spare teams for their own ambulance wagons.
The particulars of such cases will be taken at the Advanced Dressing Station and forwarded to O.C. No. 8 Field Ambulance at FORCEVILLE.
Colonel,
A.D.M.S. 3rd Division.
Copies to :-
A.A. Laporte Payne letter 11 Nov 1916
8 Talbot Road
Bayswater, W.
Saturday night Nov 11th 1916
My darling,
I cannot close the day without writing to you something however incoherent. Circumstances combined to make my resolution which I had kept for so long: but no excuses are any good. No man has a right to make love to a girl – least of all a girl like you – unless he is in a position to do so.
Please forgive and forget. For myself I am glad – Oh! So glad. It will be something to remember in the long weeks to come. Your people, if they knew, would be furious with me; for I feel sure they trusted me.
Your kisses have altered everything and I hate going back now. Perhaps in the far future fate may be kind to me and things will be different but for the present you must chose between existing as we did before as friends writing ‘copy book’ letters or having nothing more to do with me, for I am sure you will wake in the morning and see things differently. I was mad tonight. A creature like me can’t surely hope for your love. Perhaps you too were mad tonight.
After the happiest evening I am miserable. I want more and I ought not. It is just as well, no doubt, that I can’t, for I know I should get worse.
Can you make head or tail of this? I can’t. I am all in a muddle tonight. Does Mrs. Cross know? I don’t want her to. I want the memory all to myself.
Goodnight my darling
Always
Yours
Archie
P.S. Don’t write & scold me too much or forget to **** this.
9th CANADIAN ARTILLERY BRIGADE WAR DIARY for the month of October 1916
Scherpenberg
1/10/16 8.45 p.m. The relief of one section of each Bty by 36th Div Arty reported complete.
2/10/16 8.30 p.m. Relief of remaining sections completed and all batteries withdrawn to wagon lines.
3/10/16 to 7/10/16 Route march to Albert (Somme District) via Lillers, Wavrans, Boubers, Doullens and Bouzincourt.
Considerable rain on route.
Brickfields
8/10/16 9.00 p.m. The day spent in fixing up billets, which are on an open plain with no shelter or material of any sort.
9/10/16 8.30 p.m. Operation Order No 20 issued to batteries covering details of our relief of 18th Brigade, R.F.A., Lahore Div Arty. One section each of 33rd, 45th and 36th Batteries completed their relief before dark this afternoon. Ten horses per gun had to be used on account of the shell torn condition of the ground. Location of batteries are in X.6.c (Sheet 57 D, S.E.). The 32nd Bty is held in reserve for the present.
X.10.b.9.6
Near Pozieres
10/10/16 11.00 p.m. 9th Bde completed relief and took over this headquarters from the 18th Bde at 2 p.m. today. The 3rd C.D.A. is covering at present the 2nd Can. Inf. Bde.
11/10/16 12.30 p.m. Batteries are almost continuously active. The 33rd and 45th keep a portion of wire entanglements under a barrage all night, 50 rounds per hour, to prevent repairs. The 36th Battery (Howitzer) fire 300 rounds per day in the demolition of a certain area of trenches. These special tasks are in addition to all opportunity targets and emergency calls.
12/10/16 10.30 p.m. Our batteries cooperated today in an attack by the III Corps on the right of Can. Corps front. A barrage was put up from 2.05 to 2.35 p.m.
13/10/16 10 p.m. Our 18 Pdr Batteries allotted the task of cutting all wire in front of Regina Trench in our zone. M.14.b.5.6. to 8.7. and around the Quadrilateral in M.14.b. The 36th How Bty allotted the task of destroying trenches on 50 yds front just to left of our zone.
X.10.b.9.6
14/10/16 11 p.m. Wire cutting continued strenuously all day. Battery 77 mm active at about M.8.a.1 ½.6., engaged by Brigade and silenced.
15/10/16 9.30 p.m. A battery of howitzers moving along road toward Pys reported at 1 p.m. by F.O.O. 33rd Bty. Engaged heavily by whole Brigade in addition to a heavy battery which cooperated. Disappeared in a depression, from which only one limber with one team was seen to escape.
16/10/16 9.00 p.m. Under orders from R.A. Can. Corps, wire cutting and systematic bombardment has been discontinued, the prospective advance on the 17th inst being cancelled. We have gone back to normal work of harassing the enemy and dealing with opportunity targets.
Our O.Ps have a few gas shells thrown at them almost every night. The new small box respirator gives efficient protection.
17/10/16 8.50 p.m. Hostile battery active at R.5.d.2.9. this afternoon was engaged and silenced. Our zone has been changed from today noon, and now is M.14.b.6 ½. 7 ½ to M.14.a 8.4. We are keeping the wire entanglements in front of Regina Trench under slow barrage fire during the hours of darkness, to prevent repairs.
18/10/16 10 p.m. Batteries registered zone allotted for cooperation in proposed attack on Regina Trench tomorrow at 2.07 p.m.
19/10/16 8 a.m. Attack postponed for 24 hours, possibly on account of the weather, which is very bad.
10 p.m. In addition to wire repair prevention, we have been given the task of preventing traffic on Aqueduct Rd (M.8.d.9.5 to M.8.a.5.3.) during the hours of darkness.
20/10/16 10 p.m. Wire cutting and demolition of trenches in our zone again begun.
X.10.b.9.6.
21/10/16 10 p.m. Forward battery positions just north of Martinpuich reconnoitered this morning. This afternoon a very successful operation was carried out, in which our infantry captured Regina Trench from M.13.b.2.7. to Stuff Redoubt. 500 prisoners taken. Artillery cooperation reported very satisfactory.
22/10/16 11 p.m. A number of opportunity targets were engaged today and work on wire cutting and demolition of trenches continued. In the evening one section of each battery was moved forward to the new positions in M.31.b. and M.26.c. and d., just north of Martinpuich.
23/10/16 10 p.m. A very foggy day, Sections moved last night cannot be registered. Sections remaining in old positions carried on firing on wire and roads all day according to arrangements for night firing, and will continue until 2 a.m. when, sections are to be moved to forward positions.
24/10/16 6 p.m. The rain last night made movement of guns very difficult. The Howitzer Bty. were compelled to dismantle the guns of their remaining sections and bring them in by pieces on a trench tramway. Poor visibility today made registration very difficult, but it was done as well as possible.
A dugout about M.32.c.20.7, just west of Martinpuich, being cleared out to provide accommodation for our new Bde Hdqrs billet was found to contain between 25 and 30 tons of German explosives.
25/10/16 10 p.m. 10th Can Inf Bde made an unsuccessful attempt to take Regina Trench from Farmer Road to the left, supported by 10th Bde C.F.A. only, as our guns were not properly registered. Many opportunity targets dealt with by us in addition to considerable back country firing.
M.32.c.2.7.
26/10/16 11 p.m. Our Headquarters moved up to this location close up to batteries. Very quiet day with poor visibility.
27/10/16 11 p.m. Visibility continues poor. Batteries are registering a large number of tactical points, cutting wire where any can be found, preventing repairs at night, and demolishing trenches, all in preparation for the coming advance. Hostile shelling on our road, especially Pozieres-Bapaume Rd., and Contalmaison Martinpuich Rd., very heavy, making traffic difficult.
28/10/16 12 p.m. Considerable hostile shelling all day. No 1 Sect. 3rd C.D.A.C. suffered several casualties in men and horses on the Contalmaison Rd this morning.
29/10/10/16 10 p.m. Shelling of Pozieres- Le Sars Rd and area occupied by 3rd C.D.A. has been heavy and fairly continuous all day. Most of the shells are of heavy calibre, about 8 inch. Visibility poor.
30/10/16 6 p.m. Rained all day, with consequently little shooting as observation was impossible.
31/10/16 9 p.m. A clear day with good visibility; wire cutting carried on effectively. 3rd C.D.A. area again heavily shelled in the afternoon, 32nd and 45th Batteries were obliged to withdraw their personnel for a time, the former had two gunpits blown in, though guns escaped undamaged.
Lieut Col.
Commanding 9th Bde C.F.A.
The Bay Museum & Research Facility 